Systems, methods and apparatus for geofence networks

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are disclosed for enforcing at least one rule associated with a geofence. At least one device is constructed and configured in network communication with a server platform and a database. The server platform defines at least one geofence for a region of interest and specifies at least one rule associated with the at least one geofence, thereby creating a rule-space model for the region of interest. The at least one geofence comprises a multiplicity of geographic designators with each geographic designator assigned with a unique IPv6 address. The at least one device receives at least one notification signal regarding the at least one rule from the at least one server platform and implements the at least one rule when the at least one device is within a predetermined distance from the at least one geofence for the region of interest.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims priority from the following U.S.patent applications. This application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/219,129, filed Mar. 31, 2021, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/394,820, filed Apr.25, 2019, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/496,602 filed Apr. 25, 2017, which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/213,072 filed Jul. 18, 2016. U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/213,072 is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/745,951, filed Jun. 22, 2015, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/728,259,filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638, each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/213,072 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/755,669 filed Jun. 30, 2015, which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/728,259, filed Jun. 2, 2015, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638, and a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/745,951, filed Jun. 22, 2015, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/728,259,filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638, each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/213,072 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/811,234 filed Jul. 28, 2015, which claims priority from U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/030,252, filed Jul. 29, 2014. U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/811,234 is also a continuation-in-part ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/745,951, filed Jun. 22, 2015, whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/728,259, filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/811,234 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/755,699 filed Jun. 30, 2015, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/745,951,filed Jun. 22, 2015 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/728,259,filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638. U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/811,234 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/740,557 filed Jun. 16, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,280,559, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/728,259, filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,638, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/213,072 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/953,485 filed Nov. 30, 2015, which is acontinuation in-part-of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/745,951filed Jun. 22, 2015, which is a continuation in-part-of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/728,259, filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,363,638, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/213,072 is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/007,661,filed Jan. 27, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,396,344, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 14/740,557, filed Jun. 16, 2015,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,280,559, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/728,259, filed Jun. 2, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,363,638, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. Each of the above listed priority documents is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forlocation-based services, especially a space-network model bindingInternet Protocol addresses and geographical locations.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Systems, methods, and devices for creating databases of land arewell-known in the prior art. It is also known to have an IP addressassociated with a general location, such as a city or zip code.Furthermore, location-based beacon technologies have entered the massmarkets providing geo-location and enabling of portable wireless devicesfor venue and in-store customer marketing, sales and CRM services. Realestate ownership and the management of business services within theconstraints of the business space, like a mall or convention center, hasbecome open game for outside competitive customer poaching and otherkinds of interference. Furthermore, geo-fencing could address othercontentious applications and their use, such as texting while driving.Ubiquitous smartphone usage and location based mobile marketing andcommunication have become prevalent in today's society. With 1.75billion smartphone users in 2014 and 85% of the top 100 retailersestimated to be using beacon technology by 2016, opportunities fordetermining the interactions of the smartphones, beacons, and theInternet generally within defined spaces are numerous.

Exemplary U.S. Patent documents in the prior art include:

U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0031398 for “Zone-Based Information Linking Systemsand Methods” by Rahnama, filed Jul. 29, 2015 and published Jan. 29,2015, describes a method of linking to a geo-fenced zone, the methodcomprising: configuring a device to operate as a document processingengine according to zone address identification rules; obtaining, by thedocument processing engine, a digital document; identifying, by thedocument processing engine, at least one zone address token in thedigital document according to the zone address identification rules;resolving the at least one zone address token to a network addressrelated to a target zone; and enabling the device to linkcommunicatively to the target zone according to the network address.

U.S. Pub. No. 2002/0035432 for “Method and system for spatially indexingland” by Kubica, filed Jun. 8, 2001 and published May 31, 2007,describes a method of spatially indexing land by selecting a parcel(100) of land and extending its boundaries (110) to include a portion ofadjacent streets (125) and alleys (122) to define a cell (150). A uniqueidentifier is assigned to the cell as well as a reference point (170)within the cell (150). The reference point has a known location in aglobal referencing system. An internet address is assigned to the cellwhich identifies its location, such as the location of the referencepoint within the cell. This information and other data associated withthe cell is then stored in an OX Spatial Index database and includes thestreet address for the cell and other relevant information such asowner, what type building if any is on the property, location of utilitylines, etc. A Spatial Internet Address which includes the geographiclocation of the cell is assigned for each cell and this information isalso stored in the index. The index thereby created can be used forvarious applications such as determining a user's location and locatinggeographically relevant information by searching the index andconnecting to websites associated with the user's vicinity.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,129 for “Geo-spatial internet protocol addressing”by Preston, filed Nov. 30, 2000 and issued Jul. 19, 2005, describesconversion of latitude and longitude to an addressing scheme thatsupports current TCP/IP (Ipv4) and future addressing (Ipv6/Ipng)requirements. More specifically, it allows a decentralization of theunicast point to a device on the hosted network. Geographical InternetProtocol (geoIP) addressing will facilitate anycast routing schemes inwhich the nearest node has a statically assigned geoIP. Geo-routing andnetwork management become a function of the geoIP address.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,812,027 for “Geo-fence entry and exit notificationsystem” by Obermeyer, filed Aug. 15, 2012 and issued Aug. 19, 2014,describes a method for determining when a mobile communications devicehas crossed a geo-fence. The method comprises (a) providing a mobilecommunications device (209) equipped with an operating system and havinga location detection application resident thereon, wherein the mobilecommunications device is in communication with a server (211) over anetwork (203), and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database(213); (b) receiving, from the operating system, a notification that (i)the location of the mobile communications device has changed by anamount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (ii) that a period oftime has passed; (c) querying the operating system for a data setcomprising the general location of the mobile communications device andthe corresponding location accuracy; (d) transmitting the data set tothe server; and (e) receiving from the server, in response, a set ofgeo-fences (205) proximal to the general location.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,837,363 for “Server for updating location beacondatabase” by Jones, filed Sep. 6, 2011 and issued Sep. 16, 2014,describes a location beacon database and server, method of buildinglocation beacon database, and location based service using same. Wi-Fiaccess points are located in a target geographical area to build areference database of locations of Wi-Fi access points. At least onevehicle is deployed including at least one scanning device having a GPSdevice and a Wi-Fi radio device and including a Wi-Fi antenna system.The target area is traversed in a programmatic route to reduce arterialbias. The programmatic route includes substantially all drivable streetsin the target geographical area and solves an Eulerian cycle problem ofa graph represented by said drivable streets. While traversing thetarget area, Wi-Fi identity information and GPS location information isdetected. The location information is used to reverse triangulate theposition of the detected Wi-Fi access point; and the position of thedetected access point is recorded in a reference database.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,892,460 for “Cell-allocation in location-selectiveinformation provision systems” by Golden, et al., filed Aug. 29, 2014and issued Nov. 18, 2014, describes system and methods for allocatingcells within a virtual grid to content providers according to variouspriority and selection schemes are used to target content delivery toinformation playback devices in a geographically and/or applicationselective manner. The priority schemes, geographical selectivity, andapplication selectivity of the system and methods of the invention allowa content provider to specifically target a desired demographic withhigh cost efficiency and flexibility.

U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0171013 for “Monitoring a mobile device en route todestination” by Varoglu, filed Dec. 17, 2012 and published Jun. 19,2014, describes a system, method and apparatus are disclosed formonitoring a mobile device en route to a destination. A user of amonitored device specifies geo-fence regions along a route to thedestination. Entry and exit of regions triggers the sending of eventnotifications to a monitoring device. Event notifications may be sent ifan estimated time of arrival changes due to delay. Event notificationsmay be sent if the monitored device deviates from a planned route by athreshold distance. Event notifications may be sent through a directcommunication link between the monitored device and monitoring device orthrough a location-based service.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,634,804 for “Devices, systems, and methods for locationbased billing” by McNamara, filed Dec. 7, 2009, and issued Jan. 21,2014, describes devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relateto billing users of a telecommunication network. A billing server is incommunication with a geo-fence database. The geo-fence database containsa plurality of geo-fences. Some geo-fences are associated with a singlemobile communication devices, such as a home geo-fence, work geo-fence,etc., while other geo-fences are global, such as a stadium geo-fence,toll geo-fence, etc. When a mobile communication device enters theperimeter of a geo-fence, a billing server changes the billing rate atwhich connections are billed to the user account or bills another useraccount. The mobile communication device may send a ticket code to thebilling server for a reduced billing rate while within a geo-fence. If amobile communication device enters a toll geo-fence, then the billingserver charges the user account for the toll.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to systems and method and apparatusfor location-based services. In one embodiment, a system forlocation-based services comprises a multiplicity of network devices, adatabase, and a server platform constructed and configured innetwork-based communication. The database is configured to store aspace-network model binding Internet Protocol (IP) addresses andphysical locations. The server platform is operable to define at leastone geofence based on the space-network model and specify entitlementsfor the location-based services within the at least one geofence. The atleast one geofence and entitlement for the location-based services arestored to the database. The multiplicity of network devices isconfigured to learn the space-network model and the at least onegeofence and perform tasks based on the entitlements specified for thelocation-based services within the at least one geofence.

In another embodiment, a system for advertising location informationcomprises a multiplicity of devices constructed and configured fornetwork-based communication within a geofence. Each of the multiplicityof devices comprises a processor, a transmitter, and a receiver. Each ofthe multiplicity of devices is configured to emit a unique space-networkidentifier continuously within the geofence. The unique space-networkidentifier comprises a binding of an IP address and physical locationinformation for each of the multiplicity of devices. Each of themultiplicity of devices is configured to receive space-networkidentifiers from its peers within the geofence. Each of the multiplicityof devices is configured to update the unique space-network identifierbased on space-network identifiers received from its peers within thegeofence.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings, as theysupport the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a quadtree graph.

FIG. 2 is an octree graph.

FIG. 3 is visualization in the Unity game engine of a sphere embedded asvoxels of a voxelized cube in a Unity world space.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the space-network model for Australiancontinent synchronized with the movement of the land mass according tothe present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of general routing and switching architecture.

FIG. 6 illustrates a geofence defined for telecom carrier infrastructurein an area.

FIG. 7 illustrates a geofence defined in power grid infrastructure foran area.

FIG. 8 illustrates a local reference frame built around a vehicle.

FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate the notion of left and right for a rule spaceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 10A-10E illustrate the rule space elasticity according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates different rule space zones according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Priority documents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,363,638, 9,280,559,9,396,344, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/745,951,14/755,669, 14/811,234, 14/953,485, 15/213,072 are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

Space-Network Model

The present invention provides a space-network model comprised of acombination of an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a directed graph, anoptional topological space, and a physical topography and/or elements ofa complete geodetic system. A directed graph can be a strip tree, aquadtree, an octree, a b-tree, an r-tree, a weighted graph or a cyclicgraph. A topological space can be a manifold (e.g. torus, sphere,Euclidean space), a simplicial complex, or a Hamming space. A completegeodetic system can be the World Geodetic System (WGS84).

The combination of the location and the network is inherent to thespace-network model of the present invention. The space-network model isa unique structure built by assigning a unique IP address to a physicallocation, or from another perspective, the space-network model is givendimension through distribution of IP addresses inside of a mathematicalconstruct. A physical place like a planet can then be placed inside ofthe space-network model.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the space-network modelcomprises four elements, including a topographical structure, a directedgraph, a reference datum, and an Internet Protocol (IP) network.Preferably, the IP network is IPv6 or IP future versions beyond IPv6. Atopographical structure can be constructed from measurements of thesurface of a planet, a tectonic plate, a geometric solid. A topologicalspace such as a torus or cylinder can be chosen to accommodate a mapprojection.

FIG. 1 illustrates a quadtree graph. FIG. 2 illustrates an octree graph.Quadtrees and octrees can be generalized to arbitrary dimensions. Acoordinate in N-dimensional Euclidean space always sits in anN-dimensional cube represented by a sequence of digits between 0 and2^(n)−1. An N-dimensional manifold is projected into a lower dimensionalEuclidean space. For example, a 3D sphere has a 2D map projection.

A reference datum is selected from a prime beacon, a center of mass, acenter of gravity, a center of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)constellation, a fixed point computed by reference to an astronomicalobject, a natural or manmade satellite, or any other astronomicalobject, by way of example but not limited to: a star, a comet, anasteroid, and/or a distant pulsar.

A prime beacon is a manmade beacon that transmits its own physicallocation via information encoded on an energy source. The energy sourcemay be a form of radiant energy (e.g., electromagnetic) or mechanicalenergy (e.g., sonic). The information is encoded as a space-networkidentifier. The space-network identifier emitted from the prime beaconis used as the reference datum to establish a space-network frame.

FIG. 3 is a visualization in the Unity game engine of a sphere embeddedas voxels of a voxelized cube in a Unity world space. The embedding isobtained by associating a longitude and latitude coordinate to a node inan octree, with that node corresponding to a voxel of the voxelized cubein the Unity world space. The embedding can be augmented byperturbations and distortions so as to provide an embedding of a shapemore closely representing that of the Earth; in general, anythree-dimensional surface can be embedded similarly in the voxelizedcube. A node in the octree, and its corresponding voxel, is representedas an IP network address in a space-network model. The voxelcorresponding to each node in the octree can be divided intosubcomponents. For example, each face of the voxel can be subdividedinto tiles, each tile corresponds to a node in a quadtree, and thatnode, in turn, is represented as an IP network address in aspace-network model.

As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the Unityworld space does not have the same dimensions as the real world sincethe earth is not a perfect sphere. In other words, the Unity world spaceis more perfect mathematically. Thus, physics models in the real worldare built in the Unity world space for use with the present invention.The illustrated Unity game engine world space provides a coarserepresentation of a space-network model of the present inventionincluding intersections of datum that gives start in some universe. So,modeling is done in such a world space. A ring illustrated in FIG. 2 isprovided to test navigability around a line of latitude for IPv6aggregation. Each voxel (cube) in FIG. 2 is navigable as an octree andeach plane in FIG. 2 is navigable as a quadtree similar to zoom levelprojections in the present invention.

Reference Frames

Reference frames are independent blocks of a space-network model and areused for any purpose independently of other frames. Reference frames maybe provided at any depth of the space-network model. Each referenceframe of the present invention has its own multi-dimensional orientationand can be scaled, translated or rotated for any purpose. In oneembodiment, a reference frame has an independent reference datum. Inanother embodiment, a reference frame is anchored to a parent frame.

For example, due to tectonic shift, the entire continent of Australiahas moved 1.5 meters north over the past 22 years as well as rotatedrelative to a Geographic Coordinate System (GCS) and surrounding plates.Thus, the space-network model for a local area of Australia istranslated and rotated to remain synchronized with the movement of theland mass according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 4 .

While the space-network model of the present invention is referred to asreference frames, coordinate systems, map projections and datums thatrelate to the earth, this space-network relationship is applicable toany dimensional spaces. Dimensional spaces include higher ordermathematical structures, geometrical or otherwise.

The earth is not a perfect sphere, it flexes and flows under theinfluence of tides, gravity and interactions between the earth's mantleand crust. As a coordinate system, the space-network model of thepresent invention in the context of the geometry of the earth issuperior to the GCS in that it allows for localized portions of thespace-network model to be decoupled from the whole, thereby allowingparts of the planet to drift, rotate and scale independently within areference frame. In one embodiment, localized frames of thespace-network model are linked to another frame by a pivot point. Thepivot point is generally an anchor point at the center of mass orgeometric centroid depending on the number of dimensions. In oneembodiment, linked frames of the space-network model use dissimilardimensions, topologies or IP networks, but do not require a datum asthey may inherit a datum from a parent frame.

Space-Network Model (SNM)-Based Network Protocol

In the field of computer networking, a network topology describesvarious arrangements of network nodes (e.g., hosts, routers, switches,and other network connected devices). Network topologies include, forexample but not for limitation, busses, rings, stars, and meshes.

For decades, network engineers have been striving to create a mapping ofabstract network topologies to the physical world. Many geo-routing andgeo-casting protocols have been developed in this pursuit. Theseprotocols vary in methods, but most if not all are prone to gross errorthrough misconfiguration when placed in the hands of networkadministrators. The geo-casting protocols have failed in the past asthey all try to build an ephemeral model that glues geographicaltopography and network topology together, but the network topology inparticular places cannot be verified based on observations andassertions.

The space-network model of the present invention obsoletes theseprotocols through a simple truth that if a location is known, then thenetwork at that location is known. Conversely, if a network that adistant network node is utilizing or advertising is known, then theexact location for the distant network node is known. This linkagebetween a network and a location is achieved through the distribution ofIP addresses in a topological space. A reference datum is then used topin the topological space to a topography.

The present invention also provides a network protocol based on thespace-network model. The space-network model (SNM)-based networkprotocol of the present invention represents a fusion of a geographicaltopography, an IP network and that IP network's topology. It is alsooperable to leverage and extend beacon-based location services. TheSNM-based network protocol of the present invention provides for afencing agent to derive automatically an exact 3D geographical locationusing an IPv6 address from the space-network model. Conversely, given a3D geographical location, the Fencing Agent automatically determines thecorresponding IPv6 address using the space-network model.

In one embodiment, the space-network model is applied to the geographic3D surface of the earth. Every location, for example one room in abuilding, has a finite number of IP addresses assigned to it in thespace-network model of the present invention, thereby automaticallycreating an IP network (or IP networks) using IPv6 or later version thatassociates every locational point with its unique IPv6 address. Just aseach room of the building is aggregated into a larger structure, in thepresent invention IP networks corresponding to different locations areaggregated into a supernet, also known as prefix aggregation or routesummarization. The aggregation in networking terms is like an address onan envelope. For example, when a zip code is provided, the location areaassociated with the zip code is known and provides an initial basis forrouting the envelope toward a specific address. From that zip code as aninitial basis for routing the envelope, adding a street name, and then ahouse or building number corresponding to a more particular location onthe street, the exact location is known or established by the completeaddress, and the envelope may be delivered accurately to the locationcorresponding to the complete address.

The present invention includes a mechanism to constantly produce andpopulate the space-network model database that contains binding betweenthe IP addresses and their corresponding locations, which areinextricably linked together. This mechanism is superior to geocoding orGeoIP data sets which leverage data mining exercises based on zip codes,cities, and/or countries.

Given an IP address, the location information is known based on thespace-network model in the present invention. Based on this fundamentaltruth, the present invention allows for automatically addressingphysical space at near real time speeds with a precision of more than 41trillion IP addresses per atom in the earth, i.e., each IPv6 addresscorresponds precisely to a 3D location on the earth's surface. Notably,the 3D location can include a dimensional location component above thesurface or below the surface of the earth, with a precision of about 10to 20 addresses along a radius of a proton. The precision provided bythe present invention systems and methods using the space-network model(SNM)-based network protocol exceeds what is required in most practicalapplications for mapping and location-based services. However, thepresent invention may be further applied to medical imaging or tomedical applications to address delivery of medications or treatments ata cellular level, or molecular level, or even more precise.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a device, knowing itslocation, is operable to make a request via Dynamic Host ConfigurationProtocol (DHCP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), NeighborSolicitations, Neighbor Advertisements, Router Solicitations, RouterAdvertisements, or Redirects, for an assignment or assertion of use ofan IP address representing its location within a space-network model.

Upon the assignment or acquisition of a new IP network identity, thedevice is operable to announce the use of this IP address through thecourse of ARP, directed communication, broadcast, multicast, anycast, orother common uses of IP protocols. Anycast is a network addressing androuting methodology in which datagrams from a single sender are routedto the topologically nearest node in a group of potential receivers,though they may be sent to several nodes, all are identified by the samedestination address.

Once becoming aware of the IP addresses currently in use by theirnetwork peers, all the other network devices are operable to compute theexact positions of their network peers within the space-network model,thereby knowing the exact 3D positions of their network peers.

Other nearby routers and switches within a physical topographyassociated with an IP network are operable to check assertions ofdevices by sending a request that addresses for the devices are indeedwithin a known or physically possible region. Impossible or unlikelyrequests could be denied as a security or route optimization measure.

The network protocol provided by the present invention are opportunisticprotocols based on zero-configuration networking (zeroconf). Zeroconf isa set of technologies that automatically creates a usable computernetwork based on the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) when computers ornetwork peripherals are interconnected. It does not require manualoperator intervention or special configuration servers. Apple TV,Chromecast, Airplay are all based on zeroconf.

The SNM-based network protocol provided by present invention provides aback channel between beacon-emitting devices in network connection orrouters either having access to GPS or not. The beacon-emitting devicesand routers, configured for the SNM-based network protocol, are operableto measure distance between their network peers. The SNM-based networkprotocol is operable on multiple channels in multiple types of networksincluding wired and wireless.

In one embodiment of the present invention, some location informationencoded in corresponding IP addresses are verified, and some locationinformation are not verified. The present invention enables devices torefine one another's or its own location over time based onemitting-variance-covariance-based estimations or other estimations ofprecision. The location information is refined automatically andcontinuously in real time.

Lifecycle for Location Accuracy Augmentation

In one embodiment of the present invention, a first router configuredwith GPS in a datacenter is operable to initialize a loopback interfacewith an IPv6 address in which a block of address space is encoded with aphysical location of the first router based on the space-network modelin the present invention.

The second router in the same datacenter discovers the first router as anetwork peer over a connected network medium. Upon discovering aspace-network identifier and accuracy value from the first router, thesecond router is operable to use time-distance metrics from itsconnected interfaces using the built-in cable diagnostics or Time DomainReflectometry (TDR) to estimate cable lengths and approximate itsproximity to the first router.

A third router in the same datacenter discovers its location from abeacon configured for the SNM-based network protocol of the presentinvention. This third router also joins as a network peer. The secondrouter now has two sources of location and two sources of distance.

Every router is operable to receive information from a new source tofurther refine its location and in turn provide more accurateaugmentation to its peers. If a router does not have any source oflocation independent of an Ethernet network, for example, a GPS, Wi-Fireceiver, etc, the router is still able to learn the cable lengthsbetween the device and other devices over the Ethernet network.

Beacons Configured for the SNM-Based Network Protocol

According to the present invention, a beacon is configured for theSNM-based network protocol and transmits its own physical location viainformation encoded on an energy source. The energy source may be a formof radiant energy (e.g., electromagnetic) or mechanical energy (e.g.,sonic) based on a radio source, light source, sonic source or ultrasonicsource. The information is encoded as a space-network identifier.

Each beacon configured for the SNM-based network protocol is operable touse many sources of location data to establish or refine its ownlocation or its peer's location. These sources include but not limitedto other beacons, announcements from network peers, time/distanceranging with other radiant or mechanical energy sources, ground-based orsatellite-based location services such as GNSS.

An accuracy value is also encoded with a space-network identifier. Theaccuracy value represents a beacon's confidence level in the precisionof the location that it is advertising within the space-network model.The accuracy value is computed through consideration and comparison ofthe many sources of location augmentation that the beacon is exposed to.

The only exception is a prime beacon. A prime beacon has a fixedlocation in a given space-network model and acts as a reference datumfor the given space-network frame.

At the time of the present invention, all commercially available radiobeacons, for example but not for limitation, iBeacon (Apple), Eddystone(Google), and AltBeacon (Various Vendors), can be configured for theSNM-based network protocol by adding a single chip implementation of theSNM-based protocol provided by the present invention.

Each beacon is operable to advertise its location information byemitting binary space-network identifiers continuously. The locationinformation is encoded in the address portion of a space-networkidentifier, and an accuracy value is encoded in the metadata portion ofthe space-network identifier. The space-network identifier is anotherkey similar to a hardware address or a Media Access Control (MAC)address to identify an entity within a space-network model.

In one embodiment, a workflow for installing and initializing one ofthese commercially available beacons includes the following steps: affixa beacon to a physical place; establish communication between the beaconwith a smartphone containing a Fencing Agent enabled applicationprovided by the present invention; the Fencing Agent enabled applicationconfigures the beacon based on the location information and acorresponding accuracy value from the Fencing Agent enabled application.The beacon is then operable to continuously transmit a space-networkidentifier encoded with its location information and an accuracy value.

In one embodiment, a beacon configured for the SNM-based networkprotocol is placed on an antenna outside a building. The antenna is asurvey grade dual antenna for land surveys with sub-centimeter GPSprecision. Other beacons inside the building are operable to learn theirlocations from each other based on triangulation and trilateration.

Routing Engines Configured for the SNM-Based Network Protocol

Similar to a beacon configured for the SNM-based network protocol, arouting engine is configurable for the SNM-based network protocol, andis operable to establish and/or refine the location informationassociated with its IP address from inside the firmware of the routingand switching hardware. If a router with a routing engine configured forthe SNM-based network protocol moves, the router is operable to relearnits location by observing the network it is on and/or anynetwork-connected beacon configured for the SNM-based network protocolover zeroconf or other similar discovery mechanism.

Many datacenters have GPS feed at least for accurate clock informationand many vendors of routers and switches have the ability to connect toa GPS based source of clock. A network device such as a router with arouting engine configured for the SNM-based network protocol is operableto take the same GPS feed, derive location information out of standardNational Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) messages from the GPSfeed, and use link state announcements (LSA) to make authoritativeassertions that a network is available in a place, and a place isavailable in a network. That is, the SNM-based network protocol is amodern internal routing protocol which uses LSA to advertise theavailability of a particular IP network on a particular router or switchinterface or port. As routers interact with one another through zeroconfor similar advertisements and/or communication with remote peers, theyare operable to augment each other's locational precision.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of general routing and switching architecture.Distance/vector data and link state data are collected to trafficengineering databases. The traffic engineering databases communicatewith routing processors, both of which are configured with graph or treesolving algorithms. Administrative preferences for the trafficengineering databases and/or the routing processors may be entered by anetwork administrator. The routing processors are configured withhardware and/or software. A traffic forwarding plane makes decisions onwhat to do with data arriving in the form of packets, frames or otherprotocol data units. The data is then transmitted from the trafficforwarding plane to a physical or virtual network interface. When thephysical or virtual network interface changes, link state data changes,and traffic engineering database is updated based on the link state datachange.

In a space-network model provided by the present invention, a positionalways references both a physical location and an address block withinan IP address. A space-network model provides a mechanism to navigatethe IP addresses and the physical world in a consistent manner, andallows for interchanges between directed graphs, projections andphysical datums.

Any fragment of a protocol data unit (PDU) at any layer of an OpenSystem Interconnection (OSI) model can be used to reference a positionin the space-network model provided by present invention. This includesnon-prescribed uses of hardware identifiers such as a MAC address.

Systems configured for the SNM-based network protocol are operable toact as ground-based augmentation (GBA) to GNSS/GPS. Some criticalinfrastructure is dependent on the precise timekeeping and geolocatingof GNSS/GPS, and some critical infrastructure is only dependent on theprecise timekeeping of GNSS/GPS. According to the present invention, thesystems configured for the SNM-based network protocol are capable ofkeeping critical infrastructure running in an event of a complete GNSSfailure based on location-based aggregation. Some criticalinfrastructure is only dependent on the precise timekeeping of GNSS.

A blockchain is a distributed transactional ledger. In one embodiment,the blockchain is used as a tamper-proof and corruption-proof record ofa geofence ownership, a land deed and/or a smart contract related to theland or geofence. In one embodiment, an IPv6 address in a space-networkmodel is encoded with metadata information, such as a blockchain ID, atransaction ID, and/or a hash in the blockchain for a transaction.

In one embodiment, a web server configured for the SNM-based networkprotocol in the present invention is operable to learn an exact positionof every client by knowing each client's IP address. Thus, the webserver log contains the exact position of every client.

In one embodiment, drones are configured according to the presentinvention to emit space-network identifiers continuously in a form of IPaddresses encoded with location information and corresponding accuracyvalues. When the drones are in a mesh network, they are operable tolearn and update each other's position and in real time avoid collision.

In one embodiment, the present invention enables network policies forrestricting or allowing network resources based on their exactpositions.

In one embodiment, network routing policies are expressed asentitlements on geofences comprised of points within a space-networkmodel, and the behavior of network routing and switching equipment canbe further refined by such network routing policies.

The present invention provides systems and methods for advertisinglocation information. A multiplicity of devices is constructed andconfigured for network-based communication within a geofence. Each ofthe multiplicity of devices comprises a processor, a transmitter, and areceiver. Each of the multiplicity of devices is configured to emit aunique space-network identifier continuously within the geofence. Theunique space-network identifier comprises a binding of an IP address andphysical location information for each of the multiplicity of devices.Each of the multiplicity of devices is configured to receivespace-network identifiers from its peers within the geofence; and updatethe unique space-network identifier based on space-network identifiersreceived from its peers within the geofence. The geofence is defined ina space-network model binding Internet Protocol (IP) addresses andphysical locations.

The unique space-network identifier comprises an IP number portionencoded with physical location information for a device emitting theunique space-network identifier. The unique space-network identifiercomprises a network portion representing a network that a deviceemitting the unique space-network identifier is in, and the networkportion is encoded with location information for the network that adevice emitting the unique space-network identifier is in. The uniquespace-network identifier comprises a metadata portion encoded with anaccuracy value representing a confident level in a precision of thelocation information for the device emitting the unique space-networkidentifier. Each of the multiplicity of devices is operable to augmentthe accuracy value in the unique space-network identifier emitted fromeach of the multiplicity of devices. The multiplicity of devices ismovable, and operable to relearn their location and update the uniquespace-network identifier based on space-network identifiers receivedfrom its peers. The multiplicity of devices is selected from beacons,routers, switches, hosts, and other network connected devices.

Telecom Carrier Infrastructure Management

The present invention is applicable to manage telecom carrierinfrastructure. In one embodiment, a geofence in the form of a 2Dpolygon or 3D volume is defined in a space-network model for an area ina space-network model for certain activities and/or policies in acertain area, such as scheduled installation, maintenance, netneutrality control, traffic policies, etc. In another embodiment, ageofence is drawn around an area that is predicted to be impacted by astorm or other weather event for preemptive traffic restoration, andoptimization of customer and public service. In another embodiment, ageofence is defined indicating areas where certain types of service arepossible or available.

In these embodiments, specific entitlements are defined for the definedgeofence. For example, the entitlements include an intent to routetraffic inside the geofence to another part of a stakeholder's ownnetwork or a competitor's network outside the geofence; bulk customermigrations of products or pricing plans; telephone number plans;aggregation strategies for IP number space; testing/staging areas forchanges of routing/switching configurations; areas not accepting trafficfrom internal or external peers; and tariff related concerns. Theentitlements express routing policies that tune the quality of service(QoS) and/or priority of certain types of traffic inside and/or outsidethe defined geofence. Note that the entitlements are referred to asrequirements and capabilities from the geofence owner anddevice/application providers' perspectives respectively. Namely, anetwork carrier expresses requirements for geofence, and a networkdevice/application complies with the requirements by matching theircapabilities to the requirements.

FIG. 6 illustrates a geofence is defined for telecom carrierinfrastructure in an area. Once a geofence for an area is defined andentitlements are applied within a global or private registry, a networkdevice configured for the SNM-based network protocol is operable tointentionally build a situational understanding of where that area isand how the network device and its peers relate to that area. Thenetwork device is operable to comply with the entitlements in order tomanipulate its routing and switching behavior. The network device isfurther operable to update its routes and policies based on updatedentitlements of the geofence.

Power System Infrastructure Management

The power grid infrastructure, including power plants, substations,distribution and transmission lines, is surveyed in detail and theirlocations are exactly known. At least one IPv6 address can be assignedto each equipment and along transmission lines at millimeter level. EachIPv6 address is encoded with the location information in the IP numberspace and grid topology information (e.g., switches, transformers,capacitors, connections), phase data on the power grid, and otherrelevant information in the metadata space.

In one embodiment, a geofence is defined for a certain part of a powergrid infrastructure, for example, a power plant, a substation or asection of a transmission or distribution line. Specific entitlementsare defined for the geofence for different purposes, for example,inspections and maintenance, storm damage assessment, and security.

FIG. 7 illustrates a geofence defined in power grid infrastructure foran area. Once the geofence and specific entitlements are applied withinin a global or private registry. A network device configured for theSNM-based network protocol is operable to intentionally build asituational understanding of where that area is and how the networkdevice and its peers relate to that area. The network device is operableto comply with the entitlements in order to manipulate its routing andswitching behavior. The network device is further operable to update itsroutes and policies. The network device is further operable to aggregateIPv6 addresses within the geofence. For example, drones configured forthe SNM-based network protocol are operable to detect different parts ofthe power infrastructure within the geofence; and carry out at least oneof the following tasks: inspections, maintenance, storm damageassessment, and security surveillance with more precision andefficiency.

Hospitality Management

The present invention is applicable to property management inhospitality industry. A geofence can be defined in a space-network modelfor a hotel location and entitlements can be specified for hotelmanagement. In one embodiment, at least one electric LED candle isplaced in a hotel room. Each of the at least one electric LED candle isconfigured for the SNM-based network protocol. Each of the at least oneelectric LED candle is operable to continuously emit space-networkidentifiers advertising its address within the geofence in thespace-network model. Metadata encoded in a space-network identifierinclude room number, relative positions within a hotel room, HVAC systemwithin a hotel room, and other electronic switching information.

A network device configured for the SNM-based network protocol isoperable to intentionally build a situational understanding of thegeofence and related entitlements, and perform certain tasks complyingwith the entitlements. For example, the network device is operable toreceive space-network identifiers, learn the location information andmetadata information encoded in the space-network identifiers, forexample a room number, temperature information, smoke density, HVACfunction information, energy consumption information in a room fromwhich each space-network identifier is emitted. Also as an example, anetwork device is operable by the hotel management or the HVACcontractors to remotely inspect, control and maintain the HVAC systemand other appliance in a specific hotel room.

Vehicular Application: Mobile Space-Network Frames

In a space-network model, a reference frame can be decoupled from aparent frame and subsequently translated, rotated and scaledindependently in order to service a mobile space. For example, but notfor limitation, the mobile space can be a tectonic plate, a motorvehicle, a flow of vehicles moving on a certain segment of a freeway,etc.

According to the present invention, a reference frame for a movingvehicle is independent and mobile from a global space-network frame. Abeacon configured for the SNM-based network protocol is installed in themoving vehicle. In a small area, for example, within a radius of 10 or30 meters, global uniqueness is not important. In a LAN or PAN network,the odds that an IP number is being reused (i.e., IP collision) is low.This way, the beacon in the moving vehicle can be implemented with asmaller BLE chip, which consumes less power and transmits shortermessages, and the space-network identifiers emitted from the beacon haveshorter headers. The space-network identifiers are changeable and uniquefor different purposes (e.g., marketing campaigns, and trafficreporting). The beacon is operable for broadcast communication and/ordirected communication with other vehicles. In one embodiment, thebeacon can report impact information based on an accelerometer affixedin the moving vehicle. In one embodiment, the beacon emits softwaredefined PDU over Bluetooth v4.0 Low Energy (BLE).

IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) is aprevailing automotive mesh protocol. In one embodiment, 6LowPAN is usedto build regionally unique identifiers in the form of PDUs. 6LoWPAN PDUshave mixed number of bits allowed encoding location information, forexample, 16 or 64 bits. The mobile reference frames for differentvehicles can be aggregated into large reference frames, and also thenetwork associated with the mobile frames possess aggregationproperties, for example, a PAN can be aggregated into a mesh network,which can be aggregated into the global Internet.

In one embodiment, a local reference frame is defined for an area aheadand behind a vehicle within one mile. Submicron precision is achieved bycreating 64-bit or smaller (with 6LoWPAN header compression) identifiersfor each location within the local reference frame. Each identifier foreach location is encoded with unique metadata. A prime beacon inside thevehicle acts as an origin for the local reference frame and emitsspace-network identifiers. In one embodiment, the prime beacon emits128-bit identifiers.

FIG. 8 illustrates a local reference frame built around a vehicle. Inone embodiment, the prime beacon directs its space-network identifiersin the form of PDUs to surrounding vehicles over 6LoWPAN. In anotherembodiment, the prime beacon of the local reference frame broadcasts itsspace-network identifiers in the form of PDUs over 6LoWPAN. A peervehicle within the 6LoWPAN listens to the broadcast identifiers, obtainsthe exact locations of the surrounding vehicles emitting space-networkidentifiers and other observations from the metadata (e.g., velocity,direction, etc.), decides how close it is to the vehicles emittingidentifiers and facilitates decision-making to avoid collision. Thelocal reference frame illustrated in FIG. 8 is preferably designed forautonomous vehicles. In some embodiments, there are radar, sonar,Artificial Intelligence (AI), and/or computer vision technology on boardan autonomous vehicle complementary to the local reference frame todetect what an obstacle generally is, for example, debris, drones,animals, etc.

Rule Space

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a global 3D geofenceregistry based on a proprietary generic top-level domain (gTLD) (e.g.,.place), thereby creating a strict binding between the physical world,IP networks, and URL namespace. The global 3D geofences with geospatialboundaries and their rules are published using domain names (e.g.,anyname.place) over DNS. In one embodiment, rules can be defined withgeofence registration and updated by space owners and regulators basedon regulations and preferences through the registry of the presentinvention, and devices and software applications (Apps) are operable toreceive notifications of the rule space related to the registeredgeofences, implement or follow applicable rules via programed chips,devices, etc. In one embodiment, location-based rules are defined andupdatable for devices and software applications by owners and operatorsof the devices and apps, and the devices and software applications areoperable to implement the location-based rules. The present invention isapplicable to various industries and applications, including but notlimited to aviation (e.g., UAV), transportation (e.g., autonomousvehicles), land registry, logistics, mobile device management,convention centers, maritime, smart cities, resorts, hotels and vacationrentals industry.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides an IPv6 addressmapping to a 3D location in a physical space, thereby creating aname-space model or a number-space model. For example, a DNS name for ageofence is 000307aab18d03fe.place.geofrenzy.office, with000307aab18d03fe on the left identifying the location, and.place.geofrenzy.office on the right identifying the domain.

In one embodiment, the present invention also provides mapping rules to3D locations in a physical space, thereby creating a rule-space model.In a rule-space model, every physical location corresponds to an IPv6address and is encoded in the corresponding IPv6 address. The notion ofleft and right is also applied to a rule-space model based on common usecases. For example, the interior of a polygon is its right-siderule-space, a point on the boundary of the polygon is right and theambient space is left. Also for example, the origin point of a polylineis the leftmost point, and the notion of forward and backward on a linebecome left and right correspondingly. A space filling curve ultimatelyleads to the origin or end of the IPv6 number-space by going left orright. In one embodiment, the left side of all the topologies in thepresent invention represents a large physical area or volume, whichapplies to graph navigation. FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate the notion of leftand right for a rule space according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 9A, empty rule space A is on the left side of rulespace B. In FIG. 9B, bounded rule space C is on left side of empty rulespace D. In FIG. 9C, ambient rule space E is on the left side of emptyrule space F. In FIG. 9D, empty rule space H is on the right side ofrule space G and on the left side of rule space I, and rule space J ison the right side of rule space I. In FIG. 9E, origin point K is part ofrule space K-L, which is on the left side of empty rule space L-M. Rulespace M-N contains end point N, and is on the right side of empty rulespace L-M.

In one embodiment, a rule space is elastic. A rule space guard for arule space, as a breach monitor, monitors objects installed with fencingagents approaching the rule space and automatically updates the boundaryof the rule space to provide “grace time” and “grace space” forcompliance. FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate a fencing agent from inside tooutside of a bounded rule space. The fencing agent is inside the boundedrule space in FIG. 10A. The boundary of the bounded rule space expandsas it moves toward the boundary of the bounded rule space. FIG. 10Billustrates the boundary of the bounded rule space is updated and thefencing agent is on the updated boundary of the bounded rule space. Thatis, the rules of the rule space still apply to the fencing agent. FIG.10C shows the boundary of the bounded rule space is back to the originalshape (the same shape as in FIG. 10A) when the fencing agent is outsidethe bounded rule space. Alternatively, when a fencing agent moves fromoutside to inside of a bound rule space, the boundary of the bounded ofthe bounded rule space expands similarly. FIG. 10D illustrates that afencing agent outside a bounded rule space is approaching the boundedrule space. The approach invokes the bounded rule space expansion basedon predicted breaches of rules in the bounded rule space in a predictedperiod of time. FIG. 10E illustrates the course of a moving fencingagent outside a bounded rule space abruptly changes, which invokes theexpansion of the bounded rule space based on technical rule breaches inthe bounded rule space due to the abrupt course change. In oneembodiment, the abrupt course change is an inflection of course. In oneembodiment, the abrupt course change is a path inflation, such asgetting outside of the rule space and quickly getting back inside of therule space in a predetermined period of time. For example, but not forlimitation, a boat equipped with a fencing agent is traveling incrosscurrents and goes off of its predetermined navigation rule space.The rule space guard is operable to apply an expansion to the navigationrule space to allow time and space for reposition and adjustment. Also,for example, a drone deviates from its predetermined route rule space incrosswinds, and the rule space guard is operable to expand the routerule space by a predetermined deviation for a predetermined period oftime for compliance. Also, for example, an autonomous vehicle swervesfor collision avoidance and gets outside of a predetermined speed rulespace on the road. The speed rule space is operable to expand for theautonomous vehicle for speed compliance.

In one embodiment, a rule space is visualized with augmented reality(AR). For example, ARKit, Apple's AR development platform for iOS mobiledevices, is operable to build high-detail AR visualization byintegrating the phone camera and motion tracking features. Rule spaceswith AR visualization can be implemented in convention centers, forexample for different exhibit areas, booths, specific demo spots, etc.In one embodiment, AR visualization is used for point cloud detection.Thus, the present invention provides for creation of an indoor boundaryusing a local point cloud reference. In one embodiment, instead of GPSgeodetic coordinates, ARKit uses beacon(s) such as iBeacon and camera(s)to identify a visual representation of a place in a point cloudreference. FIG. 11 illustrates different rule space zones according toone embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, a rule spaceis a point. In FIG. 11 , rule space D is a point rule space. Referencingpoint rule space D, rule space C is an immediate circle area, rule spaceB is the near circle area, and rule space A is the far circle area.These rule spaces overlap and create different zones visualized with AR.Rules in different rule spaces are implemented with iBeacon, Near FieldCommunications (NFC), QR-Code, and other relevant technologies. In oneembodiment, ARKit is operable to track real-world positions andorientations of objects in the rule spaces, track positions andorientations of images captured in the rule spaces with ARvisualization, and search real-world objects in the images captured inthe rule spaces with AR visualization.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides systems and methodsfor enforcing at least one rule associated with a geofence. A serverplatform and a database are in network communication with at least onedevice. The server platform is operable to define at least one geofencefor a region of interest and specify at least one rule associated withthe at least one geofence, thereby creating a rule-space model for theregion of interest. The at least one geofence comprises a multiplicityof geographic designators with each geographic designator assigned aunique IPv6 address. The database is operable to store the rule-spacemodel including the at least one geofence and the at least one rule. Afencing agent is installed on the at least one device. The fencing agentis operable to receive at least one notification signal regarding the atleast one rule associated with the rule-space model from the serverplatform when the at least one device is within a predetermined distanceof the region of interest. The fencing agent is operable to cause the atleast one device to implement the at least one rule associated with theat least one geofence.

In one embodiment, the distance of the at least one device to the atleast one geofence is determined by the nearest point on the perimeterof the at least one geofence to the at least one device. In oneembodiment, the distance of the at least one device to the at least onegeofence is determined by the center point of the at least one geofenceto the at least one device.

In one embodiment, the at least one rule comprises prohibition of aphysical presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the region ofinterest. In one embodiment, the server platform and/or the fencingagent is operable to cause an unmanned aerial vehicle to automaticallyland or idle outside the at least one geofence or travel to apredetermined location upon arriving at the boundary of the at least onegeofence. The predetermined location is a home location or originallocation in one embodiment. The predetermined location is anothergeofence or delivery point in another embodiment, such as a geofence ora delivery point associated with a delivery route. Alternatively, theunmanned aerial vehicle is operable to send a message to a deviceassociated with the at least one geofence or to a controller of theunmanned aerial vehicle upon idling or landing outside the at least onegeofence. The message requests instructions or permission for theunmanned aerial vehicle to enter the geofence or perform an actionproximal to the geofence. In one embodiment, the at least one rulecomprises no texting in the region of interest. The server platformand/or the fencing agent is operable to cause a mobile device toautomatically disable sending and receiving text messages when themobile device is within the region of interest. In one embodiment, theat least one rule comprises a speed limit for the region of interest.The server platform and/or the fencing agent is operable to cause anautonomous vehicle to automatically adjust a speed of the autonomousvehicle to the speed limit for the region of interest. The speed of theautonomous vehicle is adjusted downward in one embodiment and isadjusted upward in another embodiment.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the foregoing description. In an alternateembodiment of the systems and methods of the present invention, LatLongis used and forward records instead of using IP addresses as describedin the foregoing preferred embodiments. The above-mentioned examples areprovided to serve the purpose of clarifying the aspects of the inventionand it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that they do not serveto limit the scope of the invention. All modifications and improvementshave been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability butare properly within the scope of the present invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for enforcing at least one ruleassociated with a geofence, comprising: a platform including a processorand a memory constructed and configured for network communication withat least one device; wherein the platform is operable to define at leastone geofence for a region of interest and specify at least one ruleassociated with the at least one geofence, thereby creating a rule-spacemodel for the region of interest; wherein the rule-space model comprisesan Internet Protocol (IP) network and a topological space; wherein theat least one geofence comprises a multiplicity of geographic designatorswith each geographic designator assigned a unique IP address; whereinthe platform is operable to store the rule-space model including the atleast one geofence and the at least one rule; and wherein the platformis operable to cause the at least one device to implement the at leastone rule associated with the at least one geofence.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one rule prohibits a physical presence ofthe at least one device in the region of interest.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one device includes an autonomous vehicle,and wherein the at least one rule causes the autonomous vehicle to landor idle outside the at least one geofence or travel to a predeterminedlocation upon arriving at a boundary of the at least one geofence. 4.The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule causes the at leastone device to send a message to a device associated with the at leastone geofence upon the at least one device approaching the at least onegeofence.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one deviceincludes an autonomous vehicle, wherein the at least one rule is relatedto a navigation rule space, wherein the navigation rule space determinesthe physical space the autonomous vehicle is permitted to occupy.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule disables the at leastone device from sending text messages when the at least one device is inthe region of interest.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at leastone rule disables the at least one device from receiving text messageswhen the at least one device is in the region of interest.
 8. The systemof claim 1, wherein the topological space is pinned to a physicaltopography.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform is operableto transmit at least one notification signal regarding the at least onerule associated with the rule-space model when the at least one deviceis within a predetermined distance of the at least one geofence.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one geofence is two dimensionalor three dimensional.
 11. A system for enforcing at least one ruleassociated with a geofence, comprising: a platform including a processorand a memory constructed and configured for network communication withat least one device; wherein the platform includes a rule-space modelfor at least one geofence, wherein the rule space model includes atleast one rule; wherein the at least one geofence comprises amultiplicity of geographic designators with each geographic designatorassigned a unique IP address; wherein the platform is operable to storethe rule-space model including the at least one geofence and the atleast one rule; and wherein the platform is operable to cause the atleast one device to implement the at least one rule associated with theat least one geofence.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at leastone rule prohibits a physical presence of the at least one device in theregion of interest.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least onedevice includes an autonomous vehicle, and wherein the at least one rulecauses the autonomous vehicle to land or idle outside the at least onegeofence or travel to a predetermined location upon arriving at aboundary of the at least one geofence.
 14. The system of claim 11,wherein the at least one rule causes the at least one device to send amessage to a device associated with the at least one geofence upon theat least one device approaching the at least one geofence.
 15. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the at least one device includes anautonomous vehicle, wherein the at least one rule is related to anavigation rule space, wherein the navigation rule space determines thephysical space the autonomous vehicle is permitted to occupy.
 16. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the at least one rule disables the at leastone device from sending text messages when the at least one device is inthe region of interest.
 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the at leastone rule disables the at least one device from receiving text messageswhen the at least one device is in the region of interest.
 18. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein a topological space of the rule-space modelis pinned to a physical topography.
 19. The system of claim 11, whereinthe platform is operable to transmit at least one notification signalregarding the at least one rule associated with the rule-space modelwhen the at least one device is within a predetermined distance of theat least one geofence.
 20. A system for enforcing at least one ruleassociated with a geofence, comprising: a rule-space device including aprocessor and a memory constructed and configured for networkcommunication with at least one device; wherein the rule-space device isoperable to define at least one geofence for a region of interest andspecify at least one rule associated with the at least one geofence,thereby creating a rule-space model for the region of interest; whereinthe rule-space model includes a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP)addresses and a physical topography; wherein the at least one geofencecomprises a multiplicity of geographic designators with each geographicdesignator assigned a unique IP address; and wherein the rule-spacedevice is operable to cause the at least one device to implement the atleast one rule associated with the at least one geofence.